Nightfall
by Sierra of the Stars
Summary: There is a delicate balance. It is a thin line, one that is easily crossed. This balance separates good and evil, night and day, right and wrong. What happens when that small, pale line is erased? Repost of an incredibly old story. Complete summary inside.
1. AllegiancesPrologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors or Firestar, because if I did Sandstorm would have died as an apprentice, Spottedleaf would have rejected him, and Cinderpaw would have run away with Littlecloud. Then Firestar would have gone all angsty and insane, and overall the series would be changed for the better. Anyway, I do own the plot and the characters; they are purely of my own invention.

_Complete Summary: There is a delicate balance. It is a thin line, one that is easily crossed. This balance separates good and evil, night and day, right and wrong. What happens when that small, pale line is erased? StarClan are fading fast and the fate of the entire forest rests in the paws of three young apprentices. Hawkpaw, Ashpaw, and Nightpaw are treading a dangerous path, with pain, betrayal, and worst of all: Love. The rules of destiny are about to change._

ALLEGIANCES AND PROLOGUE

1, 536 WORDS

**A/N: Hey! I've grudgingly decided to repost this despite its antiquity just for the sake of that monstrous "0" on my profile. It has not been edited or improved in the slightest, so flames will be weathered and blueberry muffins baked over them! I am, in fact, working on at least one new fic at the present, although I keep straying from one story to the next…**

**As a final note, all readers who do not watch **_**The Hobbit**_** in the next 31.92 hours shall be brutally flogged with a green ferret!**

_**ALLEGIANCES**_

_**ShadowClan**_

_**Leader: **__Fallenstar- black tom with piercing amber eyes_

_**Deputy: **__Songbird- white she-cat with ginger patches and blue eyes_

_**Med. Cat: **__Blackstripe- smoky grey tom with black tabby markings_

_**Warriors (Abbreviated):**_

_Frostwind- pretty silver she-cat_

_Apprentice, Silverpaw_

_Dawnlight- ginger she-cat_

_Apprentice, Duskpaw_

_Blazefire- brown tabby tom_

_Brightcloud- long-haired white she-cat_

_Apprentice, Hawkpaw_

_Shadefall- dark grey tom_

_Tigerpool- ginger and black tabby she-cat_

_Dewfall- dappled golden she-cat_

_Thornfoot- light brown tom_

_Mousetail- brown and white tom_

_**Queens:**_

_Kestrelwing- tortoiseshell she-cat, mate of Blazefire_

_Stormcloud- sleek grey she-cat, mate of Fallenstar_

**Apprentices:**

Hawkpaw- small light brown tabby she-cat with lavender-blue eyes

Silverpaw- black tom with silver paws and amber eyes

Duskpaw- smoky she-cat with bright green eyes

_**ThunderClan**_

_**Leader: **__Flamestar- ginger she-cat with green eyes_

_**Deputy: **__Swiftfoot- black and white tom with blue eyes_

_**Med. Cat: **__Robinwing- red tabby tom with amber eyes_

_**Warriors (Abbreviated):**_

_Lightstep- light brown tabby she-cat_

_Apprentice, Ashpaw_

_Amberflight- golden tom_

_Apprentice, Softpaw_

_Foxclaw- white tom with ginger patches_

_Tabby- former kittypet, brown speckled she-cat_

_Silentstorm- grey and white tom_

_Apprentice, Littlepaw_

_Wolf-fang- white she-cat with grey speckles_

_Crowsong- rumpled dark grey she-cat_

_**Queens:**_

_Spottedpelt- speckled brown she-cat, mate of Amberflight and mother of Heronkit and Falconkit_

**Apprentices:**

Ashpaw- spiky grey she-cat with flint-colored grey eyes

Softpaw- sleek white she-cat

Littlepaw- small tortoiseshell tom

_**RiverClan**_

_**Leader: **__Berrystar- white tom with ginger patches_

_**Deputy: **__Cloudfur- pale grey tabby tom_

_**Med. Cat: **__Shadowpelt- dappled black she-cat_

_Apprentice, Darkpaw_

_**Warriors (Abbreviated):**_

_Skyfall- black and white she-cat_

_Apprentice, Nightpaw_

_Scorchclaw- dark brown tabby tom_

_Leafblaze- pale tortoiseshell she-cat_

_Iceheart- white tom_

_Ripplestream- dappled grey tom_

_Moonfrost- silver she-cat_

_Apprentice, Rubypaw_

_Mudfur- white tom with brown patches_

_**Queens:**_

_Ravenfeather- black she-cat with white paws, mate of Iceheart and mother of Sunkit, Morningkit, and Dawnkit_

_Bluestorm- white she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Gemkit and Rubypaw and mate of Berrystar_

_Swiftstrike- golden she-cat, expecting Scorchclaw's kits_

**Apprentices:**

Nightpaw- black tom with amber eyes

Darkpaw- dark grey tabby tom

Rubypaw- white she-cat

**Elders:**

Nightpaw- black tom with amber eyes

Darkpaw- dark grey tabby tom

Rubypaw- white she-cat

_**WindClan**_

_**Leader: **__Rainstar- grey she-cat_

_**Deputy: **__Sparrowsong- brown tabby she-cat_

_**Med. Cat: **__Firetail- ginger tom_

_**Warriors (Abbreviated):**_

_Rabbitleap- pale brown tom_

_Apprentice, Cloudpaw_

_Cloverleaf- black tom with green eyes_

_Sunstorm- golden she-cat_

_Apprentice, Creekpaw_

_Stonepelt- grey tom_

_Apprentice, Mountainpaw_

_Greytail- light grey she-cat_

_Redstorm- ginger she-cat_

_Grassclaw- brown tom_

Creekfoot- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_**Queens:**_

_Hopewing- white she-cat, mate of Stonepelt and mother of Mousekit_

**Apprentices:**

Cloudpaw- white she-cat with ginger and brown patches

Mountainpaw- grey tabby tom

_**PROLOGUE**_

The stars glittered coldly, looking more like holes eating away at the sky than beloved warrior ancestors. Far below, a sea of spilt ink lapped at marble shores, reflecting the dead light. Cats gathered around the dark water, wailing to the heavens. StarClan seemed not to hear them.

"Our ancestors have forsaken us. We must abandon hope!" yowled an elder, his voice creaking with the strain of his age. "They send no omens, no prophecies. WindClan's time is up." The tom's shoulders slumped in defeat, but he continued to glower at the sky as if he was daring the stars to tell him he was wrong.

"My kits will die," a queen mewed desperately. Casting her eyes upward, she made a terrified noise in her throat. "StarClan, help us, please!"

"Silence." The leader's calm, quiet voice rippled over the surface of the water, and Rainstar drew herself to her full height, her dark gaze filled with determination and anger. "WindClan need no spirits to guide us. StarClan may forsake us if they so choose. We will find another path, away from the Clans that drove us out and the ancestors who vanished in our hour of need."

A few hollow cheers echoed up from the Clan. Their paws were sore and their limbs felt as though they were moving through thick syrup. WindClan was weary, but the mountains still loomed far in the distance. Rainstar saw their stodgy movements and pained expressions, and an arrow of sympathy shot up her spine. She took a deep breath, once more raising her meow over the distressed murmurings of the crowd.

"I know you are all tired. We will rest in the glade tonight, and move at dawn. With Star- with _luck_, we may reach the foothills in two sunrises." The cats sagged in relief, and Rainstar leapt down from the boulder she was perched on, pulling together a makeshift nest of sticks and moss. With one last look at her beloved Clan, the leader closed her eyes and drifted into a series of troubled dreams.

…

"WindClan have turned away from StarClan." High above Rainstar's camp, two starlit cats paced, deep in though. The she-cat's ears flicked as she spoke, betraying her agitation. "We cannot help them any longer."

"We can't help any of the Clans," said the tom. "StarClan are fading, along with the sacred Code. We're powerless to stop what is happening in the forest. There have been no prophecies, no signs. The medicine cats have broken connection with us as well. I'm afraid they're on their own now."

"How could you say that?" The she-cat's eyes narrowed. "We're StarClan, for pity's sake. There must be something, anything, we can do. I won't sit here and watch while my kin and Clanmates tear each other apart."

"You must," the tom retorted. "There is no other way. Swiftstar chose these apprentices, and you know as well as I do that we can't change the leader's word. Besides," He looked down at the sleeping Clan. "I trust her decision."

"They're hardly kits, Eagleflight." Her whisper was laced with an unspoken threat. "You can't expect them to-"

"We have to expect them to!" shouted the tom, his claws scraping against the sky. "Or else we give up any chance of redeeming the Clans. Faith in the three Chosen is all we have left."

"Is this the StarClan I heard stories about or not?" The she-cat's voice was equally shrill. "Because the ancestors I knew would never abandon the Clans, leaving only a few scrawny children to help them!"

"I don't know what stories you heard in _dear_ ThunderClan," Eagleflight said coldly. "But this is what's real, and this is what we must do."

"Eagleflight…" The she-cat trailed off, watching Rainstar toss and turn in her nest below.

Eagleflight's tense muscles released, and he licked his companion between the ears. "The Clans need someone right now. I know the kits may seem weak now, but Firestar himself was once a kittypet. Remember, Morningcloud, the best heroes are the ones no one sees coming."

The she-cat nodded slowly. "You're right," she said finally. "I don't like it, but if it's the will of our leader, it must happen. The apprentices have to go through with this without any interference." Suddenly, the she-cat looked up. "But what if WindClan aren't the only threat? It's leafbare, and there are rogues on the borders… What if the chosen ones are killed before they can help the Clans? What if they decide not to go? Then what will become of us?"

"That," said Eagleflight grimly, "is a question I would rather not answer."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: The ferrets are rising! The ferrets are coming! The ferrets shall destroy all that is light!**

**Word Count: 3, 782**

CHAPTER ONE

Mud squelched up between Nightpaw's claws as he crept quietly over the marshes. The scent of rat was thick in the air, and he licked his lips with anticipation. It wasn't everyday a RiverClan cat caught a rodent; the only time he'd tasted one was when his mother brought him a vole that had strayed from ThunderClan territory, back in the nursery.

Nightpaw's stomach rumbled. Something moved in the reeds, and he leaned back on his haunches, ready to spring. _Three, two, one… _The black apprentice shot forward, his foreclaws latching onto the prey's back. There was a loud squeal that was definitely _not _a rat, and Rubypaw's head shot up from the reed patch, her pale green eyes narrow with fury.

"Watch where you're going, salmon-brain," the she-cat hissed, cuffing him upside the head. When his ear stopped ringing, Nightpaw rolled his eyes, scenting the air again. The smell that had been so thick just heartbeats ago was distant and stale, wafting over the old border with WindClan.

Nightpaw growled in frustration, and his belly thundered in agreement. It was leaf-bare, and it might be sunhigh before he found another prey-scent, much less caught it. A brisk wind blew from the north, ruffling his dark pelt. Overhead, the milky silver light of the winter sun barely sifted through heavy clouds that held the promise of snow to come. In other words, Nightpaw was cold. He stormed away from the reeds, trying to put as much distance between himself and Rubypaw.

His paw hit what felt like frosty glass, and Nightpaw crashed to the suddenly slippery ground. Without realizing it, he'd drifted to the small delta where the rivermouth emptied into the lake. It was frozen solid now, and he skidded across the ice, hissing angrily. Below him, a trout's silvery scales flashed and it swam in circles as though taunting him.

Nightpaw's stomach roared again, and he glanced from the fish to the camp and back again. He knew it would be risky to break the ice, but his Clan was hungry. More importantly, _he _was hungry. Taking a deep breath, Nightpaw half-stepped, half-slid backwards, raising a forepaw to strike.

His claws met the slick surface with a sound like a shattering window, and cracks spiderwebbed out from the place where his paw had plunged into the water. _Fox dung. _Nightpaw whirled, leaping toward solid earth even as the frozen river fell away behind him. He knew before he hit the water that the shore was too far away. He landed the leap splayed and breathless on a small floe of ice. As he struggled to his feet, the ice tilted beneath him, and he skidded towards the water's hungry maw. He scrabbled for a pawhold, but it was smooth as Ripplestream's meow. With a hiss of fury, Nightpaw released his loose grip and tumbled backward into the river's murky, frigid depths.

Bubbles floated in a mushroom cloud around him as he sank deeper, the chill of the pulsing current sticking needles of cold into his pelt. Above, the ice drifted over the hole he had fallen through as if it had never been. His lungs yowled for air that was not to be had, and Nightpaw's thick black fur felt strangely heavy, dragging him down to the bottom of the deep delta. A whispering voice in his head told him to close his eyes and sleep, let go and allow death's dark embrace to carry him to StarClan and the skies beyond…

_No. When I die, it'll be as a hero in battle, hailed by my Clanmates as I bleed to death beside my felled enemy. That's the only way I'll be going. _Nightpaw kicked out with his powerful hind legs, propelling himself to the underside of the ice's white expanse. He frantically pressed against his motionless captor, but there was no escape from the liquid crypt he was buried in. His eyes started to roll back, his muscles unclench. _There's no way out, Nightpaw, _the voice hissed. _No way out._

A thick, pointed branch whirled by, caught in the same undertoe as the dying apprentice. He grabbed it in his jaws, cringing as the freezing water surged down his throat. He coughed and almost lost his makeshift javelin, but caught it with his paw as it was pulled away. Nightpaw stabbed the sharpened stick into the ice, and a monstrous cracking sound resounded above him. Then he flew through the opening he'd created and threw himself onto dry land, panting. He gagged up water and shook out his pelt. Beads of condensation still hung from his fur, mimicking the stars overhead.

From a thick clump of reeds, a pair of eyes watched his every move, burning with mockery. Nightpaw's cheeks flushed with anger. "Rubypaw!" he snarled. "Why didn't you-" He cut the sentence short. Rubypaw had _green _eyes. The ones that stared at him now were blue as the leafbare sky and slanted like a snake's. "Who are you?" The stranger laughed. It was a high-pitched, strangely metallic sound that sent a shudder down Nightpaw's spine. The eyes began to weave in an odd, hypnotic dance. He tore his gaze away from the cat's terrible, shadowed face. The laughter faded into the rush of the wind, and Nightpaw felt a presence brush against his flank, soft as the marsh breeze. Then that, too, evaporated, and Nightpaw was left with the unexplainable feeling that he'd lost something precious. And he couldn't help but notice that the stranger smelled like rat.

Unnerved, Nightpaw padded at a snail's pace toward camp, glancing over his shoulder every few heartbeats. His chest ached from the battle for oxygen, and a dull throbbing behind his eyes slowed his movements to a plod, but his thoughts raced, quick as rabbits on the hills.

"Nightpaw, is that you?" Darkpaw stepped cautiously from behind the thorny wall outside camp. "The patrol came back ages ago. I was worried." Nightpaw's brother rubbed against his dripping flank, green eyes wide with anxiety. "You're soaked! What happened?"

Nightpaw growled in response and pulled away from Darkpaw's comforting touch. "I'll be fine. Just tired." He stumbled over his own trembling paws and collapsed. Darkpaw bent down to help him up, but Nightpaw snapped his jaws, and Darkpaw retreated.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Shadepelt's den? I'm sure she has something for you," Darkpaw suggested.

"No!" he spat back. "I _told _you, I'm fine!" Before Nightpaw could stop his littermate, Darkpaw called for the medicine cat's name. "Mousebrain! What was that for? I'm not going to drop dead just because of a bit of cold water." He cuffed his brother over the ear. Even as he did, the motion threw him off balance and he once again slid to the ground.

"That's it. Shadepelt's seeing you, even if I have to drag you by the scruff," declared Darkpaw. Glaring at his brother, Nightpaw struggled to his feet and curled his tail around his paws as Shadepelt emerged from her den on the other side of the island.

"Darkpaw! Darkpaw, is anyone hurt?" The medicine cat bounded across the strip of frozen earth separating her from the two apprentices. "Nightpaw, what on earth…!" She looked him over quickly, apparently taking in his soaked fur and haunted expression.

"He fell in the river," Darkpaw explained. Nightpaw grunted noncomittantly.

"Why don't you come inside," said Shadepelt. It wasn't a question, rather a firm command. Nightpaw reluctantly followed her to the thorny cave where the medicine cat slept. Darkpaw waited outside the dark entrance, shifting from paw to paw.

"Eat this," Shadepelt said once they were inside. She deposited a bundle of dark green leaves at his paws, which he sniffed warily. They smelled tangy and pungent, and when he licked up the herbs they were as bitter as bile. As he choked down the leaves, Shadepelt watched him with a tender, motherly expression. Nightpaw's throat constricted as he thought of his own parents. _They abandoned us. They never cared for us. Not enough to stay, anyway. _He and Darkpaw had never seen their father, and their mother had left before they learned how to speak. Nightpaw's only memory of her was the swish of midnight-colored fur and the soft croon of her purr beside his sleeping form. Darkpaw remembered nothing.

"Your limbs will be stiff for a while," said Shadepelt. "You should rest." He nodded and laid his head on his paws. His eyelids were heavy and drifted closed of their own accord, and Nightpaw was trekking the misty world of his waking dreams. After what seemed like only a moment, Shadepelt was gently nudging him with one silky black paw.

"You've slept in," she mewed. "It's nearly sunhigh." He ignored her and stretched, watching his claws flex creakily. He felt like meat thawing over a Twoleg's fire. Tired of standing still, the apprentice bolted for the exit only to have his legs splay stiffly beneath him. Shadepelt laughed, not a little bit wistfully. "Still got your sea legs?" she asked lightly. She picked Nightpaw up by the scruff, setting him back on his paws. Snarling indignantly, he hobbled outside as quickly as possible, leaving the medicine cat's whiskers twitching with amusement.

"You look like an elder," snorted Rubypaw, who was waiting just beyond the entrance. The pure white sunbeams pierced Nightpaw's eyes, and he blinked for a few heartbeats before the she-cat's ginger pelt was fully visible. "Nightfart, the creaky old geezer."

He didn't deign to acknowledge her words, pushing past without a backward glance. At the same time his pelt was heating up, his hackles rising and a low hiss bubbling up in his mouth. _Keep your cool, _Nightpaw told himself. _Steady… _Rubypaw wasn't done. Rolling her eyes theatrically, she pranced along beside Nightpaw, easily keeping pace with his slow, zombie-like plod.

"Would you like me to check you for tics, Nightfart?" she said with mock concern. "Or maybe you'll go tell the kits a story? Oh, I know the perfect one! How about the time you were such a dork that you jumped in the lake in the middle of leaf-bare so you could get fussed over by the pretty medicine cat?"

"Shut. Up." The two words were injected with venom, stabbing snake fangs at Rubypaw, but she didn't falter. Nightpaw gritted his teeth, trying not to rip her fur off. Not that he'd be able to take her in this state.

"Oohhh, your bedding is dirty. Shall I change it for you, Nightfart dear?" Snickering, she plucked a tuft of moss off of Nightpaw's flank. "Here, fresh kill." Rubypaw flicked the mud with her paw, and the greasy liquid splattered against his muzzle. Nightpaw was nearing his breaking point.

"Stop it. Now." Nightpaw's eyes flashed menacingly, but Rubypaw shook off his glare as if it was a fly that was slightly irritating but not worth her full attention.

"Poor old Nightfart. I bet the weather's making his elderly bones ache ever so much. Maybe you would like a massage? Or-"

With a howl of fury, Nightpaw sprung at her, the last of his stiffness melting away. Rubypaw gasped as she was thrown backward, but turned it into a breezy, scornful laugh. She ducked out of the way, her slender paw barraging his flank. Blinded with rage, Nightpaw's claws slid out.

He lashed at her, but she dodged swiftly, her haunting laugh going with her. Each jibe fanned his flames more, and his blows become harder and more frequent. Finally his paw met flesh. Rubypaw cried out as his sharp claws scored across her muzzle, blood spraying in their wake.

Horrified, Nightpaw's paw dropped, and he gaped at the deep gashes he had just made. "I- I- I didn't mean…" Rubypaw backed away, a mixture of terror and anger painted on her wounded face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Berrystar's commanding figure strode up behind Nightpaw as the leader took in the fresh cuts on Rubypaw's cheeks and the blood and fur between Nightpaw's claws. "Nightpaw, how dare you attack one of your own Clanmates? Hasn't Skyfall taught you better than that?" The leader shot an accusatory glare at Nightpaw's mentor. Skyfall looked embarrassed and insulted.

"Rubypaw- but- she provoked me," Nightpaw stammered, the adrenaline rushing from his veins.

"I'm sure you have plenty excuses as to why you attacked Rubypaw," cut in Berrystar smoothly. "Elders' den. Three moons."

"B-but my ceremony-" Nightpaw's eyes darkened with dread and disbelief.

"-will wait until Greenleaf. Go." Seeing no other option, Nightpaw turned and slunk into the elders' den, feeling Berrystar's eyes on his back. Littleleaf greeted him inside, displaying a pelt full of tics. It was almost as if the old she-cat was _enjoying _Nightpaw's punishment.

Grumbling to himself, Nightpaw set to work.

…

"Tell us a story, Snowfur!" A quartet of kits bounced at the elder's paws, their squeaky little voices penetrating Nightpaw's skull in a manner that was quite irritating. "Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Nightpaw rolled his eyes, shuffling through Littleleaf's stale bedding. His nose wrinkled at the stench. _Do they make their dirt in here? It reeks like ThunderClan!_

"All right, all right!" Snowfur gave a raspy chuckle, his scarred white tail flicking good-humoredly. "Would you like to hear the one about Blackheart and Whiteflower?"

"You told us that one last time," complained Morningkit.

Snowfur laughed again, but it turned into a fit of coughing. "Okay, Morningkit. How about the battle with WindClan? That wasn't long ago. In fact, I believe it was during your kitting." Morningkit perked up, her ears pricked with interest. Nightpaw found himself listening in, forgetting the stale moss in his paws. Nightpaw had been just a kit at the time and didn't remember the fight, but Snowfur sculpted a picture as clear as if it were happening as he spoke.

_The moon was a claw over a silver-stained clearing. A patrol trekked wearily through the RiverClan marshes, each plodding paw seeming to weigh a ton. They spoke in low voices, their tails twitching in anger._

"_WindClan have been trespassing again," a she-cat said. "The other Clans have reported their scents in their territories as well. It's as if they're just asking for war."_

"_And if it's war they want, it's war they'll get," agreed a tom._

"_But at the Gathering they denied leaving their own land. Maybe it isn't WindClan after all. Something's mousey about this whole thing. The prey-bones we found smelled like the moors, yes, but I didn't recognize any cat's scent. It almost seems like someone's trying to frame them," put in a third cat._

"_Of course, Leafblaze. You'd be the first to assume the best of everyone," the tom said frostily._

"_It's better than deciding that every cat is trying to kill me and destroy my Clan like _someone _I know," the she-cat retorted. "Besides, WindClan have never threatened us before. Why should they have such a sudden change of heart?"_

"_Their allegiances shift with the winds they're named for." The first cat sounded thoughtful. "It wouldn't be out of character for them to turn on their allies. WindClan are stupid, but they're unpredictable, which makes them as dangerous as ShadowClan."_

_The first cat nodded, but Leafblaze still looked dubious. "I think you'd be surprised at how clever they can be. And you'd have to be more than mouse-brained to make enemies with all three Clans. WindClan are near starvation and RiverClan is strong. If our situations were reversed, think how ridiculous it would be to break an alliance with a Clan that supported us in our time of need."_

"_RiverClan can take care of ourselves!" spat the tom. "We would never stoop so low as to rely on those rabbit-faces. Right, Ravenfeather?"_

_The black she-cat shifted uncomfortably. "While I agree with you on all other points, Iceheart, I think you are forgetting that it wasn't two seasons ago we turned to ThunderClan for help in the flood. But this conversation isn't about RiverClan's pride. It's about WindClan and whether or not we take action against them. I support battle, though; I'm with you. A fight will prove that, even though the flood damaged our camp, we are still a fearsome enemy that will not stand for trespassing."_

_The tom bared his teeth in a satisfied smile. "There. At least one of us can see a bit of sense." Ravenfeather's tail flicked and she continued to uneasily work the ground with her paws. Leafblaze remained silent, meeting Iceheart's sharp gaze with an equally venomous glower._

"_Fine. I've obviously been outvoted," she grumbled. "Good luck getting Berrystar to agree with you, though." _

_However, after two of his three precious kits disappeared from the nursery in the dead of night, presumed to be stolen by WindClan, Berrystar _did _agree, and the Clan readied itself for battle. Patrols were sent out to ThunderClan and ShadowClan, asking for help in the upcoming fight. ThunderClan readily joined the preparations, and ShadowClan followed suit with much growling and debating._

"_Cats of the forest." The three leaders were perched on the boughs of the Great Pine in the Gatheringplace, looking grimly down at their united Clans. "As you all know, WindClan have long threatened the peace and safety of all our territories. They have stolen kits and prey alike, slain our warriors, and left their scent far from their border time and time again," Hawkstar continued. ShadowClan lifted their chins haughtily at their leader's words. "And this is something we cannot stand for any longer."_

_Cheers echoed over the lake from the island, and on the distant shore, the Clan of the moors pricked their ears. Something was afoot, and they weren't just going to let it be. WindClan were known for their curiosity, and if there was anything going on that they didn't know about, they would soon find out._

_Rainstorm, the deputy, sprung onto the Skyrock. "Snakefur, Greytail. Take Creekpaw to the Gatheringplace and see what's going on. The Clans are up to something, and I don't like the sound of whatever it is." The three cats nodded and vanished into the stiff, tall grass, leaving it waving like the water behind them._

_Exactly four minutes twenty-one seconds later, the WindClan patrol burst through the brush and into the midst of three angry Clans simultaneously planning to attack the moors. "WindClan!" Flamestar roared. "Get them!"_

_With the force of a hurricane, the Clans rounded on the newcomers, becoming a typhoon of slashing claws and snapping teeth. Snakefur, frail as he was, was immediately dragged under the raging tide of dark pelts. Blood splattered the ground, and Greytail cried out in empathy of her companion. A massive tom scourged his claws down her muzzle, and a second cat pinned down her hindquarters._

"_Creekpaw, send for help!" she called to the apprentice. Creekpaw nodded, her eyes wide with terror, and bolted for the fallen tree._

"_Get that apprentice," ordered Berrystar. "We can't allow her to ruin our element of surprise." Iceheart and Ravenfeather sped after Creekpaw's fleeing form. The she-cat was fast and swiftly outpaced them, but the lake was another story entirely. The tree bridge would take too long to scramble across, time she couldn't afford to lose. Creekpaw would have to swim the gap. She slipped into the churning water and immediately felt the pull of her heavy fur dragging her down. The RiverClan cats were graceful and strong in the water, and swam like otters. Within moments, they had almost caught up with her._

"Yeah! Daddy's the best swimmer in the whole forest," boasted Sunkit.

"Nuh-uh!" Gemkit protested. "He's just a water bug compared to Berrystar." Snowfur cleared his throat, and the kits fell silent.

"Now, may I continue? Yes, as Sunkit said, Iceheart was a skilled swimmer, but something happened that gave Creekpaw a chance of escape." The kits' ears perked, and he went on.

_A loud whirring filled the air, and the cats froze as bright headlights swept over the waves. Iceheart and Ravenfeather remained taut with fear, but Creekpaw in her desperation kept paddling. A moment later the Twoleg's sea monster had moved on, and the RiverClan cats returned to swimming. When they reached the shore, their quarry had vanished._

At this, the kits groaned in disappointment, and Nightpaw rolled his eyes. It was obvious that the stupid rabbit-eater would escape. How else would she still be alive and well? Iceheart would have shredded her if he caught up.

_It wasn't long before Creekpaw reached the deep ravine near WindClan camp and sounded the alarm. Within heartbeats, warriors were streaming from the grasses, their eyes narrow and glittering with the lust for battle._

_The patrol shot across the tree bridge and exploded into the clearing, screeching for blood. The other Clans were ready for them, and the two forces converged into a hissing, spitting whirlwind. Greytail was lying forgotten in the dust, her pelt soaked with scarlet liquid and her chest barely moving with each fluttering breath. Crookedtail, who was WindClan medicine cat at the time, was at her side in an instant, mewing words of comfort and dragging her limp form out of the action._  
"RiverClan fought like StarClan that night, but we lost many good warriors in the battle. The fighting was intense, merciless. I was lucky to get out with my life, much less half a tail," Snowfur said, his voice heavy with grief. Nightpaw's gaze once again landed on the ruined stump that was once a silky plume. "_Like a giant, ugly duck's feather," _Littleleaf had teased Snowfur once. "_Looks much more respectable now."_

_The battle raged until sunrise. Snowfur was positioned on the right flank, where the combat was thickest. His memories were a blur of pointed teeth, wails of agony, and a throbbing pain in his hindquarters, where a silver she-cat had torn off his tail, only to have her throat slit by the enraged victim. To be sure, he would later regret the deaths he had caused, but at the time the other cats were no more than prey, prey that was struggling even as it was dragged to the fresh-kill pile. WindClan would not give up, even though they were severely outnumbered and the casualties were soaring._

_At some point in the chaos, ThunderClan, shaken by the bloodshed surrounding them, sounded the retreat and vanished into the trees, despite the howls of cowardice and treason. Given a new edge, WindClan pressed forward, and RiverClan and ShadowClan were forced to play the defensive, much to Snowfur's chagrin._

_The tom was grievously injured and had to drag himself to refuge beneath a juniper bush nestled in the roots of the Great Pine. Helpless to stop it, Snowfur was forced to watch as Jaywing, his mate, was brutally slaughtered, followed by his kits Yellowpaw and Stormpaw. With each death he felt the pain as though it were his own._

"The fighting finally ended when the sun rose," the elder concluded. "Hawkstar and Goldenstar, the leaders of ShadowClan and WindClan, had finally killed each other, both bleeding to death of the fatal wounds they had inflicted on each other. And when the dawn light fell on the red-stained ground… the bodies…" Snowfur trailed off, staring at something no one else could see.

"That's quite enough." Littleleaf stood, shaking off the trance that had fallen over every cat in the den since Snowfur began the story. "You'll give the kits nightmares."

"Let me finish," the tom said, wheezing a little as he spoke. "After the battle, WindClan were driven out of the forest. They headed toward the mountains, where the ancient Tribe made its home so many years ago. No cat has seen or heard from them since, but many, including myself, believe that they will return for vengeance, to retake the moors and take avengement for those who were slain in the fight."

A visible shiver ran down's Morningkit's spine. "You're scared," Dawnkit accused.

"Am not!" she retorted. "I'm a RiverClan warrior. _Nothing _scares me!"

"How about this?" With a yowl of triumph, Dawnkit hurled himself at his sister. Sunkit leapt into the fray, and the kits became a dervish of fur and paws. Gemkit stood away from her companions, thoughtfully licking her hindquarters until Morningkit's claws sank into her ear and she, too, launched into playful combat. Nightpaw growled as the bedding he had painstakingly arranged was tossed into the air and batted around by the young cats.

"Why don't you head back to the nursery?" Littleleaf said pointedly, nudging the four kits toward the entrance. "I'm sure your mother will be glad to see you with so much energy in your paws," she added with a hint of sarcasm. "You too, Nightpaw. Snowfur and I can finish the moss."

Nightpaw nodded and made his way to the apprentice den, where he gnawed on a vole someone had left for him (Well, he assumed it was his.) and wished that he would be made a warrior all ready so he could go to a battle as exciting as the one in the story. But Snowfur's words had made him wonder; if battles caused so much hurt and fear, were they really as great as the warriors made them sound? And what if WindClan really were coming back? If they were as strong as the story implied, RiverClan wouldn't stand a chance. And neither would Nightpaw.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: "Professor Moody, is that… Is that a student?" "No, it's a ferret!"**

**Word Count: 3, 063**

CHAPTER TWO

_A slender tom sat silently on a silver-stained cliff. The moon shone on his blindingly white pelt, and his deep blue eyes reflected the light of the stars. A ghostly figure, semi-opaque in the darkness, perched beside him. Neither cat acknowledged the other's presence, only watched the black waves hammer the rocks below._

"_I've missed you," the tom said finally, his voice heavy with grief. The she-cat just nodded and looked away, still refusing to meet her companion's eyes._

"_I know." Her shoulders slumped as if he had dropped a boulder onto her back. At last she glanced up, and her face was contorted with an unfathomable longing. The tom's gaze traveled from the dried, faded blood on her pelt to the dark scar on the she-cat's throat. He bristled as he took in the half-healed wound, and his lips curled in his fury._

"_I'll avenge your death," he swore. The sadness was still there, but almost drowned out by the anger bubbling up inside of him. His tone lowered to a cold growl, and his teeth flashed in the dim glow of the sky. "If those miserable little moorland rats ever show their ugly faces in the forest again, I'll rip their pelts off."_

_The she-cat shook her head. "Oh, Snowfur," she laughed bitterly. "You forget that you, also, killed countless warriors in that fight. The she-cat who took your tail had a life and a name. She was Shortear, and she had a mate and three kits. She was about to give birth to her second litter. You slayed her without a thought, but you are prepared to take out your wrath on her Clanmates and their descendants because someone in her Clan caused my death."_

_Snowfur's hackles began to lie flat, and his mask of ire shattered into an expression of raw, twisted pain. "You don't know what it's like, to see you die every night in my dreams while I lie on the ground, helpless to stop it. You don't know."_

"_I think I can guess," she retorted coolly. "Your memory fails you, love. In case you didn't remember-" Her mew rose in pitch, and her claws flexed against the frosty stone. "-I was forced to watch our kits' throats ripped open, feeling their agony even as my own ate away at what was left of my life. I know what it's like. I lost them, too. And- And I lost you." The she-cat's glowing form began to fade, and Snowfur stiffened in alarm._

"_No! No, Jaywing, don't go. Don't leave me again. I'm sorry," he cried, groping for her paw. His claws met empty air, and only the icy glimmer of his mate's green eyes showed any sign that she had been there. She shook her head a second time, and then the white warrior was alone. "Jaywing!" Snowfur threw his head back and wailed, a spine-chilling sound more terrible than the howl of a dying wolf. Then the tom collapsed to the ground and lie still, shaking with sobs._

Nightpaw sat bolt upright. Cold sweat was dripping into his eyes, and his jaws were parted in a desperate yowl. Rubypaw was glaring at him from across the den. "Have a bad dream, Night_fart?" _she sneered. "You woke up half the Clan with your racket."

He snapped his mouth shut, feeling his pelt go warm. "So what if I did?" he shot back, baring his teeth. "At least _I _don't have to call for Dear Daddy just because of a little scratch."

"It's not like you have a father," she said hotly. "You wouldn't understand." It took a great deal of restraint not to leap at her and finish what she had started. Maybe having her head ripped off would teach her to hold her tongue.

_I'm already in a bad position, _he told himself. _I don't need to give Berrystar more reason to hate my guts. Killing his daughter wouldn't exactly help my case with him. _Nightpaw glanced at the sky outside, trying to distract himself from Rubypaw's comment. _Cool down, cool down, cool down… _The red sun was peeking over the trees, and dawn's rosy blush crept over the dark dome, dimming the stars and warming the sleeping camp. Steam rose from the damp ground like it did every morning as the nightly mist was burned off in the heat of daybreak. It was beautiful, but the glory was lost on Nightpaw.

"I'm going hunting," he said through gritted teeth. The she-cat didn't bother to reply, and he slunk from the den without looking back. His mentor was washing herself at the foot of the waterfall that Berrystar used to call meetings from. Skyfall's tail flicked and her eyes were narrowed to slits. When she saw her apprentice, her ear twitched angrily and she looked away. Nightpaw could tell she was still upset about the humiliating experience the previous morning.

Only a trickle of water ran over the steep ledge, dripping into a shallow pool. The pond fed into the smaller one in Shadepelt's den, which eventually emptied out into the stream that surrounded the island. At the moment, the waterfall had frozen solid, and the pool was iced over as well. The kits were skating around on its frosty surface, giggling hysterically as their paws slipped and slid on the ice. Trying to push away the memory of Nightpaw's own experience two nights before, he had to restrain himself from pulling the kits away from the pool by their tails.

"Dawn patrol?" he asked, lifting his chin in defiance of Skyfall's obvious fury. He was anxious to get off the island. There was nothing to do in camp but gossip with the queens or get snapped at by the elders. Not to mention the kits' annoying little squeals always drilling into his ears. He felt like a caged bird, trapped on the forest's smallest scrap of land. For the first time he felt a prickle of sympathy for Iceheart's kits, seemingly confined to the nursery for eternity. As though hearing his thoughts, Ravenfeather stuck her head out of the gorse bush.

"Dawnkit, Morningkit, Sunkit!" the queen called. "What on earth are you doing? Come in here before you drown yourselves." With record timing, the ice crackled and Morningkit dropped like a stone into the water with a loud yelp. Ravenfeather darted forward, scooping the scrawny she-kit from the shallow pool. With her tail, she gently herded the rest of her litter toward the nursery. Bluestorm, Gemkit's mother, didn't bestir herself from washing herself, and with a sigh Ravenfeather turned back to retrieve the abandoned kit.

"You're still on probation with Berrystar, remember?"Skyfall reminded Nightpaw frostily, even as he watched the kits.

"I was hoping you would forget," he responded with just as much ice. Skyfall squared her jaw and glared at him.

"Any other day I'd punish you for your insolence," she snarled, "but my brother already believes I'm a bad mentor. I'm very embarrassed- no, _mortified- _by what happened last night. You humiliated me with your little episode. That will never happen again, do I make myself clear?" Nightpaw nodded absently. A quiet growl of frustration bubbled up in his throat as the dawn patrol vanished into the water and headed for land, evidently lacking in a black apprentice who was currently being forced to listen to yet another one of Skyfall's lectures.

"And what about Rubypaw? What about _her _insolence?" Nightpaw demanded.

"Rubypaw merely reflects your own actions," responded his mentor quietly. "Because there are things that she is too young to understand yet. Things that I doubt you will never understand. Like… Like love." There was a pause, and then her tone grew louder and sharper. "If I ever see you attack a Clanmate outside of battle training again, I will personally make certain that Berrystar never allows you to set claw out of the camp until you're ready to join the elders. Is that understood, Nightpaw? _Nightpaw!" _She followed his gaze to the quickly-shrinking patrol, and her fur fluffed up. She hissed something unintelligible and stormed away, probably to gripe to Berrystar about how lucky he was not to have his sister's apprentice.

_Now what? _Nightpaw scoured the clearing for any possible form of at least mild entertainment. The nursery was off by a long run. There was no way he'd let Rubypaw find him dead chattering to some fat she-cats and their annoying offspring. And the elder's den was also not ideal; he was still recovering from the mental scars of the last story he'd heard in there. Shadepelt and Darkpaw were out gathering herbs, and all the warriors were asleep or hunting. He'd just have to wait for Skyfall to return and try to coax her into some battle drills in the training hollow. After becoming fully satisfied that there was absolutely nothing of interest to him, he settled down beside the waterfall and tapped his claws impatiently and let his thoughts wander.

_Snowfur was younger in the dream, probably about Skyfall's age. The encounter probably happened a moon or two after the battle in his story, _he deduced. But it didn't add up. Why was an apprentice walking in an elder's memories? The only half-logical answer was that StarClan wanted to show the vision to him for some reason. _But why? I'm not a medicine cat, and Shadepelt claims that StarClan hasn't spoken to her in moons. _A new idea struck him, and his eyes glittered at the thought. _What if _I _could speak to them? The Moonpool isn't that far, and StarClan couldn't ignore a direct question. Even if they refused, I'd tell Shadepelt that they were still perfectly able to talk to her, just chose not to. That'd make her pretty mad, and then she could ask them for me. Maybe we could even find out what WindClan is planning, if they haven't all starved out yet._

"Hey, Nightfart." Nightpaw jumped as Rubypaw broke into his thoughts. She had left the den, and decided the best way to conquer her boredom was to torture him, as usual. "Enjoying your imprisonment?" She snorted with laughter at her own jibe, and shot a look of contempt at him as he flexed his paws. "Are you going to claw me again?" she taunted. "We all know how well that worked out last time."

"When I'm a warrior, I'll shred you," he threatened boldly. He stuck his nose close to her face for emphasis.

"Ooh, so scared." She butted him away, rolling her eyes scornfully. "Especially since at this rate you won't have your ceremony until you have a silver muzzle." Nightpaw flinched. Rubypaw smirked, sure that she'd hit a sore spot. "Ah, poor old Nightfart. Doomed to be forever a kit."

"Just leave me alone," he said, turning his back on the she-cat.

"I'm insulted! I have been deemed unworthy to kiss the dust at the feet of one so mighty as you. What a shame, what a shame. I was really looking forward to a mouthful of dirt. Here, why don't you have one and tell me how great it is?" Quick as the wind, she barred his way and scooped up a clod of mud and moss. She tossed it towards him, but he dodged and threw her down, pinning her with his claws unsheathed. Rubypaw's eyes betrayed her fear, but she didn't relent even as his paws pressed down on her chest. "You're not brave enough to do it," she choked out.

Even though they stung, her words were true. Nightpaw stepped off of her, sighing. With a yowl of glee, she took the opportunity to shove him into the pool. He yelped and gulped in ice-cold water. A few heartbeats later he burst through the frosty circle, spitting out water and shaking out his fur. "What was that for?" he demanded. "The water's freezing!"

"I know," she replied haughtily. "You like it better that way, right?" He scowled and swiped irritably at a loose pebble near his paw. It skittered along the ground and hit the water with a quiet _plink. _He watched its progress and enviously pondered how lucky it was not to have to worry about things like she-cats and warrior names.

"Rubypaw! There you are, Rubypaw." Ripplestream leapt across the stepping stones leading into camp. "I've been looking for you for ages." _Liar, _Nightpaw thought harshly. _You've been out on patrol, scouting for enemy warriors, not her. _Then he wondered why he even cared and looked away, his fur once again prickling with heat. Ripplestream had been named less than five sunrises ago, and the grey tom already acted like he was both Clan leader and Rubypaw's mate.

"Huh," Rubypaw huffed coolly. "I didn't see you anywhere." The young warrior flushed. "I mean, I could have missed you, of course," she continued. Her tail swished with barely concealed anger. "You're not exactly a memorable character." Ripplestream trembled, his paws shifting. "Don't lie to me, Ripplestream." With that, she turned and stormed into the apprentice den. Ripplestream glanced at Nightpaw, maybe hoping for support, but the black apprentice just rolled his eyes and began to lick his pelt dry.

After a moment Ripplestream gave up and plodded miserably over to the fresh-kill pile, where he picked out the fattest rabbit and settled down to eat. _Badger-faced idiot. Even kits are taught that you save the plumpest prey for the leader. Doesn't he know anything?_

"I'm supposed to bring all the apprentices prey. Isn't that cool? Hey! Hey, Nightpaw! Nightpaw!" A small, insistent voice forced Nightpaw to turn his head. Gemkit was sitting by his tail, holding a scrawny mouse. Dawnkit and Morningkit were beside her, preparing to pounce on the unsuspecting apprentice. He curled his mouth and growled at them, and they scampered away, but Gemkit persisted. "Will you please, please, _please _will you have some?" Nightpaw reluctantly accepted and chewed the stringy meat. It was bland and boney, but better than nothing. Maybe. "You're _welcome_," the kit said, annoyed, and pranced away to play with the others.

Cloudfur, the deputy, leapt onto the fallen log, raising his voice over the chatter of cats sharing tongues. "The sunhigh patrol will be Mudfur, Moonfrost, Rubypaw, and Scorchclaw." Rubypaw padded slowly across the camp, still glowering, and met up with the three warriors at the stepping stones. Nightpaw glanced around. No one was looking in his direction; they were all occupied in talking or eating. With a satisfied twitch of his whiskers, he slid into the shriveled reeds and followed the patrol off the island.

Scorchclaw stopped, sniffing the air as Nightpaw crossed the half-frozen stream. "Do you scent anything?" the brown tabby asked suspiciously. "Like… RiverClan?" Nightpaw pressed himself low to the frosty rocks, praying to StarClan that they hadn't spotted him. Moonfrost laughed raucously at the question.

"Mouse-brain. We're hardly two fox lengths from the camp, and, in case you forgot, we _are _RiverClan. You probably just smell your own stench. Honestly, Scorchclaw, do you ever wash yourself?" Scorchclaw swatted playfully at the she-cat, who ducked and tackled him. They scuffled for a few heartbeats, rolling dangerously close to the water's edge. It would be a matter of seconds before they saw Nightpaw. On a wild impulse, he launched himself off the stones and into a patch of dried-up marsh grass. The tall stalks hid him from sight, but the patrol snapped into alertness at the sudden splash.

"What was that?" demanded Mudfur. "I heard something there, in the water." The tom cautiously stepped across the bank, as if he were afraid the ground would nip his paws off. "Rubypaw, will you investigate?"

"Coward," Nightpaw heard the she-cat mutter, and she advanced on the undergrowth. Nightpaw's heart skipped a beat as she stuck her nose only half a tail-length from where he was hidden. For a moment, her bright blue eyes met his amber ones, and she stiffened. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "I thought you were confined to camp."

"I am," he retorted in a whisper. She rolled her eyes and backed out of the plants.

"Fine, I'll bail you out this time, but never again," she said quietly. Joining the patrol again, she avoided her mentor's gaze. "It was just a frog." Moonfrost frowned, detecting the lie in her voice, but said nothing. Nightpaw stuck his tongue out in her direction and waited for the cats to pass. When he was sure they were gone, he stepped from the bracken and scented the air. He smelled trout, but it was stale, probably long gone downstream. There was a trace of the dawn patrol, overlayed by the fresher scents of Rubypaw, Moonfrost, Scorchclaw, and Mudfur. That was all perfectly normal, but there was a less familiar scent, one he felt certain should hold a place foremost in his mind. A scent which it seemed he had obscured from his own memory. Perplexed, he licked his paw and followed the trail.

It led him across the stream where he'd fallen in the night before, eliciting a juddering shiver from the apprentice, over a ridge, and to the small copse of trees near Horseplace, where the Clans had first sheltered after the Great Journey so many seasons ago. The branches were bare overhead, and the bushes wilted and dry, before vanishing into the languid, frosty air, to be replaced by a stench like rotting leaves and fox dung. A few snowflakes drifted down from the silver sky, and Nightpaw didn't notice the russet tail before it was too late. A red blur shot out of the shrubbery and threw him to the ground, snapping its narrow muzzle a whisker-length from his face. Nightpaw gritted his teeth. There was no way he'd scream for help like a stupid she-kit, even if the beast killed him. Besides, the patrol was checking the ShadowClan border, and there was no way they'd hear him. With that thought, he closed his eyes and hoped for the best. Then he kicked up with his hind legs and cursed his bad luck.

_Fox!_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ferrets are like gerbils… with FANGS! (Why can't I stop thinking about ferrets?)**

**Word Count: 2, 664**

CHAPTER THREE

Shifting his weight to the left, Nightpaw managed to throw off his heavier opponent, despite its greater bulk. He lashed out at the fox's pointed muzzle, scoring a deep gash from its nose to its lower jaw. The creature spat in his face and lunged for the apprentice. Its sharp claws raked Nightpaw's flank, and tears blurred the tom's amber eyes from the sting. Despite that, he leapt into the air, flipping over as he fell so that he came down hard on his enemy's back. The fox's spine bent painfully with a loud crackle, and it yelped, whirling around to catch Nightpaw's leg between its fangs. Nightpaw was tossed carelessly to the ground, and with a horrible snap his bone broke.

Unbidden, a tortured screech tore itself from the depths of his throat. _Great, _he thought heatedly. _Now every cat from here to ThunderClan is going to come running and see me make a fool of myself._

Forcing himself to stand up on three paws, he grasped the fox's bushy crimson tail in his claws and bit down. The fox bellowed and smacked its paw into Nightpaw's head. His vision flickered with black and red, but he was too proud to give up. He leaned back on his good hindleg and pounced, hoping to barrel into the beast's bony flank, but without the use of his paw, he fell short and skidded to a stop in the freshly fallen snow between the fox's front limbs. With a wild thrill of adrenaline, he hollered a battle cry and kicked up at the heaving underbelly above him. While the fox was unbalanced, he butted its legs out from under it. The fox toppled like a felled tree, sending a cloud of white powder billowing into the air as it hit the frost-gripped earth. Nightpaw gasped for breath, crushed beneath the heavy form.

Dazed, the fox lie panting for a moment before it stirred. He struggled harder to free himself. Already the fox's intelligent yellow eyes were fixed on the trapped apprentice, glistening with the knowledge of its victory. He saw it struggling to decide whether to get up and risk letting its meal escape of stay put until Nightpaw suffocated and chance being buried in the snow. "StarClan help me!" Nightpaw called to anyone who would hear. The words stung in his mouth. He'd never uttered them before, and it hurt to admit that he couldn't escape alone. _It'll hurt more if I get eaten alive by a fox on my own territory._

"Nightpaw?" Rubypaw's frightened voice carried over the swiftly growing snowdrifts. A moment later, the sunhigh patrol flew from the storm of eddying white flakes, a mixture of anger and fear on their faces. The fox hefted itself off of Nightpaw's limp body, advancing menacingly on the newcomers. Rubypaw blanched and stumbled backward at the sight of the scarred animal, but the two warriors held their ground, glaring stonily ahead, as if resigned to any fate their ancestors would give them.

"RiverClan, attack!" Scorchclaw cried. The three cats bounded forward. They met the fox head-on and became a shrieking mass of claws and fur. The fox was almost completely obscured by the flurries of grey, brown, and ginger pelts around it. Nightpaw pushed himself up, determined to keep fighting, only to crumple again as his injured leg gave way. The RiverClan warriors were strong and swift, weaving through the fox's flailing limbs, resembling mist as it snaked between the trunks of the trees across the borders. Their strikes were quick and accurate, and Nightpaw watched their every move, intent on memorize even the most complicated maneuver. Notwithstanding his loathing for the she-cat, he was impressed with the skill with which Rubypaw fought against a foe far superior in size and strength to her.

But slowly the cats' strengths were fading, and when the sun was lowering in the sky Moonfrost faltered, her paw slipping on the thickening ice. Tiny eyes glittering, the fox took the opportunity to break away from its other two attackers and reared up on its back legs before slamming its forepaws into her skull. The she-cat wailed in agony before the light in her eyes was extinguished, and dark blood pooled in the whiteness, staining it scarlet. New fire pounding in his veins at the sight of the gore before him, Nightpaw ripped open the fox's hindquarters, distracting it from its kill. Rubypaw pinned down its shoulders, and Scorchclaw saw the opening at the same second that the fox did. It bayed mournfully even while the warrior's claws swept towards its neck. Then Scorchclaw tore out its throat and the fox fell silent.

Rubypaw's gaze landed on the mutilated body of her mentor and she whimpered, eyes wet. Scorchclaw rested his tail on her trembling shoulders and gently stroked her back soothingly. Nightpaw felt a prickle of envy, but it almost immediately subsided into anger at his rescuers. He glowered at his Clanmates, putting aside any remorse he felt at the death caused by his actions and filling the void with pure, white-hot anger.

"I could have defeated it myself, thanks," he said coldly.

"No, Nightpaw," replied Scorchclaw in a low, even voice that concealed his seething fury, "I don't think you could have, judging by the state of your leg and the fact that you nearly got your head bashed in, not to mention the fact that that _thing _just killed Moonfrost, an experienced warrior, with a single blow." Nightpaw bristled at what he considered an insult to his talent and growled again. "You-" Before the older warrior could finish his lecture, Skyfall, Berrystar, and Cloudfur burst into the glade.

"Fox! We scented fox!" warned Skyfall.

"We know," Scorchclaw said, unruffled. He stepped aside to reveal the bloody mounds of fur that were Moonfrost and the fox. A strangled noise rose in Skyfall's throat as she laid eyes on her dead kit. The sound escalated in shrillness until the she-cat was ululating her grief to any being within a territory-length. Cloudfur slid helplessly to the ground at the sight of his sister, and he emitted an unearthly howl of agony. Rubypaw and Scorchclaw joined in with their own pained cries. The four cats' lamentations mingled into a hair-raising, bone-chilling song, warbling and lilting to the strength of their passion. Nightpaw lowered his ears in an attempt to block out the sound, but to no avail.

Looking away, he met Berrystar's cold eyes for a moment. The leader bared his teeth, but Nightpaw did not avert his gaze, but rather lifted his chin stoutly and refused to move. _I'm not afraid of you or your warriors, _he told Berrystar through his small act of defiance. _I am not sorry for the suffering I caused tonight, and I will not apologize for it. You may be leader, but you don't control me. I'm not your pawn. I'm not anyone's pawn. _Before the leader could protest, he turned tail and limped into the grass. Even with his wounded leg, he moved quickly and the glade was already shrinking behind him. Someone called his name, and Nightpaw moved faster, ignoring the twinges from his dragging hindleg. Without realizing it, he had veered toward the abandoned WindClan territory. A thrill of triumph made his tail swish when he realized that he was already on the way to the Moonpool.

_I'll make StarClan speak to me, _he thought gravely. _They'll tell me whether WindClan are returning. I'll force them to. Perhaps I can get my parents' identities out of them as well. I'll hunt those miserable excuses for cats down and make them pay for abandoning us and leaving us with that imbecile Grayfoot. Two birds with one pounce, no? _With that steeling thought, Nightpaw crossed the border into WindClan land. The moor cats' scents had long faded, but Nightpaw, for the third time in two days, could smell the strong mousey odor of the blue-eyed cat from the river. His spine prickled with the feeling that he was being watched.

"Who are you?" Nightpaw called into the roaring wind that the Clan had been named for. "Show yourself!" The same tinny yet honey-smooth laugh carried on the gusts, chilling him to the marrow in a way even the howling gale could not. _Soon, _the strange voice murmured in his head. _The time is not yet ripe, kit-warrior. Soon, soon…. Soon you shall know all, but beware, for knowledge is not always pleasing to the heart…_

"What do you mean?" he shouted to the strange presence. "What do you want with me?" He was answered only by silence. Shaking himself free of the voice's traumatizing influence, Nightpaw staggered into the brush. He walked for what felt like an eternity, until the stars' flickering lanterns glimmered in the sky and night spread its velvety black mantle over the world. The coarse scrub grass beneath his paws gave way to rough gray rock, stained blue-silver in the twilight. Ahead, a steep slope rose from the earth until it seemed to scrape the heavens.

Nightpaw leapt onto a tall boulder, wincing as his injured leg dragged across the jagged surface. He swayed on his paws as his surroundings blurred, and for a moment he thought he would fall off of the dark spire he perched on. He gulped in the cold air and the world came once again into sharp relief. Clouds were once again drifting overhead, obscuring the deep blue vault of the sky. _More snow is coming, _he remarked to himself. _I should be quick, or I won't be able to get back to camp before the moors freeze._

As he bunched his muscles to spring down from his ledge, a cat shouted his name in the distance. He tensed. "Nightpaw! Nightpaw, are you there?" It was Shadepelt. Nightpaw growled and descended from the monolith. The medicine could search until sunrise for all he cared. "Nightpaw, please answer me! I know you're out here somewhere!" He set into a steady stride, clambering up the steep bank. Pebbles clattered beneath his claws, but he did not worry that Shadepelt would hear him. All that mattered was getting to the Moonpool and finding his answers.

The first rays of dawn were blazing over the lake when he reached the silver pool. Nightpaw hesitated, then touched his nose to the icy surface of the Moonpool. He waited in the uncomfortable position until his muzzle burned with unbearable cold. He drew away from the water, annoyed. _Why isn't anything happening? _he wanted to yowl.

"It's no use." Shadepelt's voice startled him, and he looked up from the ground. "I've been trying to contact StarClan for moons." She sounded suddenly older than she was. "I believe they have deserted the Clans." She stepped closer to the apprentice and sniffed the gash on his forehead. "These are severe wounds, Nightpaw." Her expression hardened. "You shouldn't have exerted yourself this much. You could kill yourself this way. Nightpaw…. Nightpaw, can you hear me? Nightpaw, answer me…" The rest of what she said was lost as Nightpaw swayed on his paws and plummeted into a starry darkness.

_A cold, high-pitched laugh reverberated across a dark and grassy landscape. Blue eyes flashed in front of Nightpaw before fading along with the voice they belonged to. The scene changed and he was standing on a rocky, barren plain. A group of cats made their way slowly across the stone desert. The scent of blood, fear, and hunger were thick in the air. "Rainstar, we must find water before we all perish," a tom was saying. His voice was rasping and dry with thirst, and when the she-cat beside him answered, her throat was similarly parched._

"_There is no water, Firetail. Not here, anyway. The only thing we can do now is press on until we find it."_

"_That's what you said before," snapped the ginger cat, who Nightpaw assumed was Firetail. "You told us that we would find refuge in the mountains, but our hopes were dashed. Hopewing's kits have already perished of dehydration and many other good cats besides. If you keep pushing us, Rainstar, we will break. Many of us are close to mutiny, and-"_

"_Is that so?" interrupted the grey cat smoothly. "Well, you can tell them that they can feel free to depose me, but then they will be lost in the badlands without a leader, with no choice but to kill each other for meat or go hungry here. I want what is best for my Clan."_

"_If that were true," Firetail snarled, "you would have taken us back to the forest after the mountain cats proved hostile. We could fight the other Clans and regain our territory, instead of wandering hopelessly in the wilderness."_

"_Lead us back," Rainstar repeated. "To what? They defeated us once, and they could do it again. We are tired and sickly, and in no state to fight. That was true even when we were in the hills."_

_The world flashed again, and Nightpaw was lying beneath a thick, prickly bush. Snowfur's pale figure was sprawled beside him, and the elder was screaming for his mate. Nightpaw followed his gaze to a dip in the earth outside the shrubbery, where a massive tabby was tearing at Jaywing's bloody corpse. Two smaller lumps of fur, who Nightpaw took to be Snowfur's kits, Stormpaw and Yellowpaw, swam in their own scarlet pools._

_Then Nightpaw was looking at Shadepelt, and she was wailing at the stars. "Why have you deserted us?" she cried. "Where have you gone?"_

The terrible visions faded to black, and Nightpaw saw no more.


End file.
